The present disclosure generally relates to measurement of strain in rotating machinery.
Rotary machinery, for example, blades in an aircraft engine, may experience strain during operation, which may damage the machinery. Accurate measurement of strain is necessary to take appropriate measures to correct or prevent any damage that may occur in the rotary machinery. One approach to measurement of strain in rotary machinery may use wired strain sensors, which require wiring between a rotating component and a stationary part of the rotary machinery. However, a wired approach may be complex, expensive, and unreliable, due in part to the high temperature of the machinery in operation, as the electronic characteristics of the wiring may limit the range of temperatures over which a wired strain sensor may operate accurately.
Due to the limitations of wired strain sensors, wired strain measurements of a rotary machine may only be taken during testing of the rotary machinery; during operation in the field, wires strain sensors may be impractical. However, monitoring strain over the entire lifespan of the rotary machinery is desirable to ensure reliable operation of the rotary machinery. Strain measurements taken in the field may be correlated with control parameters to optimize field operation of the rotary machinery. Change observed in strain measurements over time may be also used to assess the health of the blades of the rotary machinery, allowing for appropriate maintenance scheduling.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a strain sensor that is accurate over a wide range of temperatures and conditions, and that may be used over the lifespan of rotary machinery.